Machine



(No Model.) 7 SheetsSheet 1.

.T. 0. DEXTER. SHEET ASSBMBLING AND STAPLING MACHINE. No. 595,941. Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

WITNESSES:

(No Model.) 7' Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. 0. DEXTER SHEET ASSEMBLING AND STAPLING MACHINE.

IIIQI III :III

IIII

IIII

IIII

IIIIII IIIII IIIII IIII III

IIIIII III III

III

III

III

III

WITNESSES: INVENTORI ATTO R N EY (No Model.) 7 Sheets-Sheet 3.

T. O. DEXTER. SHEET ASSEMBLING AND STAPLING MACHINE.

No. 595,941. Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

Q 0 s Q Willll r H v III I \i l! -l.

V 5777* k i mil WITNESSES: v3

(No Mode-1. T. G. DEXTER. 7Sl1eets-Sheet4. SHEET ASSEMBLING AND STAPLING MACHINE. No. 595,941. Patented Dec. 21,1891

i 4 H? n" Z I I 1 ,i

. R o 1 w I v Q j E Q '1 h w w Q a! 1 H o fi o k I INVENTOR.

% ATTORNEY (No Model.)

7- Sheets-Sheet5.

T. G. DEXTER.

' SHEET ASSEMBLING AND STAPL-ING MAGHINE.

Patented Dec. 21. 1897.

WITNESSES:

% ATTORNEY m: Nonms PETERS co. wow-undo" wnsmnmon o c (No Model.) 7 Sheets$heet 6-,

T. 0. DEXTER. SHE ET ASSEMBLING AND 'STAPLING MACHINE.

No.- 595,941. Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

INVENTOR 1 %a" ATTORNEY 7 Sl1 eets'-Sheet 7.

(No Model.) T. C. DEXTER.

SHEET ASSEMBLING AND STAPLING MACHINE. No. 595,941. Patented Dec. 21, 1897.

III

QIINVENTOIR.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

TALBOT O. DEXTER, OF PEARL RIVER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE DEXTER FOLDER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. Y

SHEET ASSEMBLING AND STAPLING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 595,941, dated December 21, 1897.

Application filed March 6, 1896. Renewed March 27, 1897. serial 7 (N0 11105610 To wZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, TALBOT O. DEXTER, of Pearl River, in the county of Rockland, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Paper Folding and Stitching Machines, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a full,clear,and exact description.

The object of this invention is to provide a convenient and efficient machine which shall accurately and expeditiously fold together a plurality of sheets, each of which contains duplicates of printed matter, and to bind therewith a duplicate paper cover and separate the folded and bound duplicates during a single passage of the same through the machine.

The invention is more specially designed to fold what is termed a sheet of two eightpage signatures together with an insert-sheet of two four-page signatures and bind therewith a covering-sheet and to deliver the two copies separately into the packing-box of the machine; and to that end the invention consists in the novel organization of the paper folding, assembling, binding, and separating mechanisms, as hereinafter described, and specially set forth in the claims.

In the annexed drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a machine embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are enlarged plan views of the machine, extending from the center to opposite ends of the machine. Fig. at is an enlarged vertical transverse section on line X X in Fig. 1, viewed in the direction of the arrow shown thereat. Fig. 5 is an enlarged end elevation viewed in the direction in which the main sheet is fed to the machine. Fig. 6 is an enlarged diagrammatic side View of the means for assembling and alining the plurality of sheets fed to the machine from different parts thereof. Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail view of one of the means for actuating the paper-alining gages by the drop-roller, and Fig. 8 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of the mechanism for feeding the insertsheet and cover to the main tapes.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the supporting-frame, which is formed with an elevated portion A, extending from one end some distance the length of the subjacent main portion.

R R represent two folding-rollers mounted on the'elevated portion of the frame to receive by the paper-c0nveying tapes a a the sheets fed to the machine from the feed-board B on the rear end of said portion of the frame. This feed-board I designate the main feedboard in contradistinction to the tributary feed-boards B and B, hereinafter described.

From the feed-board B is fed the main sheet or sheet of two eight-page signatures, which by means of the f0lding-rollers R R receives its first fold. In said transit of the sheet to the folding-rollers said sheet is arrested and alined by the usual gage b preparatory to folding the sheet. The sheet is introduced into the bite of the rollers by the usual blade 0, attached to the intermittentlyoscillating arms 0. Beneath the said folding-rollers are the paper-conveying tapes 0, which I term the main tapes in contradistinction to certain tributary tapes, hereinafter referred to. All of said tapes run on suitable rollers in the usual manner and receive longitudinal motion by a train of gears. (Indicated by dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings.) In the path of the said main,

tapes 0 c at opposite sides of and equidistant from the ,center of said path I place two wire stapling or stitching machines D D, which are both on the same line at right angles to the path of the tapes and in a plane to receive between the paper-supporting tables 01 and staple-drivers d of said machines the paper carried on the tapes. These stitching-machines maybe of any suitable and well-known construction, the details of which are not essential to my present invention and need not be illustrated. Fig. 4 of the drawings partly shows the cam e and eccentric e, which oscillate the staple-forming and staple-driving levers f f of the species of stitching-machines selected for exemplification of the general operation of my invention.

A short distance in front of the two stitching-machines are gages g g, (see Fig. 6,) to whichare delivered by means of the tributary tapes 0 c the main sheet folded by the rollers R R, as hereinbefore stated. The

tapes 0 are carried on one of the folding-rollers and on pulleys E, which latter are mounted tion of said sheet raised sufficiently from the main tapes c 0, so as to allow the tributary sheets hereinafter referred to to enter underneath the folded main sheet, I place adjacent to the roller t" a stationary inclined apron h, as more clearly shown in Fig. 6 of the drawin gs.

To the opposite end of the main frame A.

I connect the tributary feed-board 13, upon which to feed to the machine the covers designed to be applied to theprinted sheets. From this tributary feed-board to themain tapes 0 0 lead the tributary tapes 0", carried on rollers j j. The roller j adjacent .to said feed-board receives rotary motion from the train of gears hereinbefore referred to, and over said roller are drop-rollers j, which intermittently press the sheet upon the subjacent rotary roller and thereby cause thesheet to-be carried along by the tapes 0" in the usual andwell-known manner. Atthe roller j are gages g, which serve to temporarily arrest the movement of the cover-sheet fed from the,

tributary board B- In front of this tributary feed-board is a supplemental tributary feedboard B; upon which to feed to the machine the printed insert-sheet designed to be bound withthe folded main sheet. Said insert-sheet, is carried from the feed-board. B to the gage where it meets with the covering-sheet delivered to said gage in advance of the insertsheet. This transmission of the insert-sheet is effected by means of endless tapes carried on a series of transverse rollers ZZ, pivoted to arches'I I, extending from the delivery end of the feed-board 13 to the frame A. Said rollers are thus supported at a proper elevation above the tributary feed-board B to permit convenient manipulation of the sheet fed from-the latter board.

The tape-carrying roller Z over the end of theframeA receives positive rotary motion fromthe train of gears before mentioned, and

thus the tapes Z receive longitudinal motion. 7

A drop-roller K, pressing the sheet upon a rotary roller K at the delivery end of the feedtable B, serves to carry the sheet to the conveying-tapes Z.

Over the gages g are drop-rollers K, which in their dropping motion lift the said gages, as represented in Fig. 7 of the drawings. These gages are attached to a transverse shaft '0, pivoted at its ends to suitable supports on the sides of the frame A. i The heels of said I gagesare provided with shoulders 11, and directly over these shoulders are cams w", fastened to the rock-shaft w, to which are secured the arms w, carrying the shaftof the drop-rollers I The downward pressure of the said cams upon the shoulders 11 during the descent of the drop-rollers lifts the gages 9 out of the path of the paper. Said lifting of the gages liberates the sheets delivered as aforesaid, and the dropping of the rollers K onto the sheets presses said sheets down upon the traveling tapes 0, by which said sheets are carried to the gage g, and in this movement they pass under the folded main sheet previously delivered to said gage, as hereinbefore described. By means of said gage 9 all the sheets are assembled and alined preparatory to passing to'the stitching-machines D. In order to maintain the said sheets in their properly-assembled condition during their transit fromthe aforesaid. gage to thestitching-machines and also duringtheoperation of stitching or stapling the sheets, Ivemploy in.-

termittenfly-revolving rollers with d-rop-rollers over them and receiving between themthe assembled sheets in their aforesaid transit.

Said rollers are timed in their movements so as to' first admit the sheets between them,

then clamp the sheets while the rollers are deprived of rotation, and thereby temporarily rrest their progresswithout disturbance of their assembled condition, then release the sheets and propel them to their requisite po-.

sition inrelation to the stitching-machines to i be stitched or stapled thereby and firmly hold ti e sheets intheir latter position during. the operation of stitching the same.

runofthe tapes 0 and at right angles to the tapes. This roller receives intermittent rotary motion by means of a ratchet-wheel n,

l Atthe gages g is a roller it, placed with the top of its periphery in the plane of the upper attachedtothe endof the shaft of saidroller. A pawln, connected to a plate 0, pivotedto the aforesaid shaft, engages said ratchetwheel. with which engages a rack 0, attachedto a pitman 0", which receives reciprocating 1no-.

To said plate is fastened a pinion 0,.

tion by means of a roller 'm, pivoted to the pitman and held incontact with a rotary duplex cam L by a spring-actuated rod m, connected to the-pitman and sliding in an eye on the frame A. Said cam imparts two complete reciprocating motions to the pitman during.

each revolution of the. cam for the purpose hereinafter explained Over the roller 01 are droprollers N, which intermittently drop onto the sheets riding on theroller n and are.

held in elevatedpositions while the sheets approachjthe gages g, which are inposition to arrest the sheets. ontothe sheetsand move the gages beneath. the path of thesheets. .This movementof the'gage is effected by couplings X, connecting arms X and X, secured, respectively, .to the shaft y, lJO'WhlCll the gages are attached,

and to the rock-shaft y, to which the lifting.

arms y of the drop-rollers are attached.

The rollers N then drop The motion of the duplex cam L is so timed as to retract the rack and thus leave the roller n dormant when the rollers N drop onto the sheets. This is an important feature of my invention in that it prevents disturbance of the sheets and serves to maintain them in adjustment. If the rollers were rotated when the drop-rollers press the plurality of sheets onto the roller 02, the sheets would be liable to be disturbed from their alinement by the frictional contact with the traveling surfaces of the rollers. As soon as the drop-rollers are brought to bear on top of the sheets the cam L pushes the rack 0 forward and thereby r9- tates the roller n, which, in conjunction with them in proper position at the stitching-machines D D to receive therefrom the first staples. As soon as the sheets have arrived at said position the cam L retracts the rack 0", and in said movement the roller it remains at rest. This stationary roller, with the droprollers N pressing upon the sheets, causes the latter to be retained in their position during the operation of the stitching-machines in applying the staples to the sheets. By the time the stapling is effected the cam L again pushes the rack 0 forward and thereby sets the roller 71 in motion, which roller, in conjunction with the traveling tapes 0, moves the sheets to the gages g, which is in a position to arrest the movement of the sheets, so as to hold the same in position for receiving the second staples. The drop-rollers N bear on the sheets during said movement. This method of clamping the sheets between the revolving rollers n N during the operation of placing the sheets in their requisite positions for being operated on by the stitching-machines D is very important, inasmuch as it positively moves the sheets to their said positions and retains the sheets in proper alinement during said movements. l/Vhile the sheets are held by the gage q the stitching-machines D D apply the second staples to the sheets. The sheets are thus bound together along two parallel lines, which are respectively in range with the bites of the two sets of folding-rollers R R,which subsequently fold the sheets after they are divided. These bound duplicateprinted sheets are severed by suitablerotary cutters p 19, arranged between the stitchingmachines D and folding-rollers R and in a line passing midway between the stitching-machines. The sheets are carried to said cutters by the following mechanism: At the gage q is another intermittently rotary roller q,mounted on a transverse shaft'and arranged between the tapes 0 c and immediately under the plane gages are coupled to the rock-shaft Z of the drop-rollers N in the samemanneras the gages g, hereinbefore described, and are thus caused to release the sheets simultaneously with the descent of the drop-rollers, and as soon as this takes place the cam s imparts rotary motion to the roller g, which, in conjunction with the traveling tapes 0, move the sheets to the bite of the cutters p p, which are fastened to rotary shafts extending across the machine. To these shafts are also attached rubber friction-rollers p p, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. The gripping of the paper between the said rotating upper and lower rollers carries the divided sewed portions of the paper to the folding-rollers R R, which are disposed parallel with the tapes 0 c and with the bites of the rollers in lines with the rows of stitches. A gage t at the farthest ends of said folding-rollers arrests the movement of the divided sheets, which are then tucked between the rollers by the usual folding-blades i. A packing-trough u of any suitable or well-known form under the latter folding-rollers receives the two copies properly folded and bound with a cover during the passage of the sheets through the machine in the before-described manner.

It is obvious that all the actuating mechanisms of the rollers which control the'movements of the assembled sheets to the stitching-machine must be located outside of the frame of the machine, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, in order to prevent their interference with the travel of the said sheets.

WVhat I claim as my invention is- 1. A combined paper folding and stitching machine comprising main paper-conveying tapes, tributary conveyors delivering a plurality of sheets to said tapes, a stitching-machine in the path of the main tapes, a gage tapes in front of the stitching-machine, rollers immediately under the plane of the tapes,

at the aforesaid gage, drop-rollers over the aforesaid rollers and mechanism imparting intermittent motion to the rollers and timed to stop said motion simultaneously with the descent of the drop-rollers to prevent disturbance of the assembled sheets and subsequently rotate said rollers to pass said sheets collectively and in their alined condition to the stitching-machine as set forth.

2. In combination with a set of main paper-conveyin g tapes,a wire-stitching machine in the path of said tapes, a plurality of tributary conveyers carrying sheets from difierent sources to the main conveying-tapes, movable gages in front and rear of the stitching-machine to aline thesheets in transit, and droprollers releasing the sheets from the gages and impelling the sheets to and from the vstitohing-maohine as set forth.

3. In combination with a set of main carrying-tapes, a plurality of feed-boards located at different parts of the machine, paper-folding rollers receiving the sheets from one of said feed-boards, tapes conveying the folded sheets from said rollers to the main conveying-tapes, separate sets of tapes carrying the sheets from the other feed-boards to the main tapes back of the delivery of the folded sheet, a gage gathering and alinin g the several sheets upon the main tapes, and a wire-stitching machine in the path of the main tapes receiving and stapling the gathered sheets as set forth.

4:. In combination with a set of main conveying-tapes, a wire-stitching machine in the path of said tapes, tributary sets of tapes delivering sheets to the main conveying-tapes at difierent distances from the stitching-machine, an alining-gage at the rearmost point of said delivery, and a gage in front of the stitching-machine and in proximity thereto to collect all the sheets from the aforesaid deliveries and aline said sheets preparatory to being acted upon by the stitchingmachine as set forth and shown.

5. In combination With a set of main conveying-tapes, two wire-stitching machines at opposite sides of the center of the path of said tapes, a main feed-board and tributary feedboards atdifierent parts of the machine, folding-rollers receiving the sheets from the main feed-board, tapes conveying the folded sheets from said rollers to the aforesaid main tapes in front of the stitching-machines, tapes carrying sheets from the tributary feed-boards to the main tapes back of the delivery of the folded sheet, a sheet-alining gage at the delivery of the tributary sheets, a gage at the delivery of the folded sheet collecting and alining all the delivered sheets preparatory to being acted on by the stitching-machines, a cutter dividing the sheets, between the lines of stitches, two sets of folding-rollers folding the divided sheets, and a gage arresting the sheets preparatory to entering between said rollers as set forth.

6. In combination with the set of main tapes and two wire-stitching machines at opposite sides of the center of the path of said tapes, a plurality of tributary tapes delivering sheets from difierent parts of the machine to said main tapes, movable ga'ges in front of the stitching-machines collecting and alining the group of sheets preparatory to being stitched, a ratchet-Wheel attached to one of the maintape rollers, a pinion pivoted to the axis of said roller, a plate attached to said pinion, a pawl connected to said plate and engaging the ratchet-Wheel, a rack engaging the pinion, a

rotary cam imparting reciprocating motion to the rack, and drop-rollers over the aforesaid tape-carrying roller as set forth.

7. In combination with the main tapes, two wire-stitching machines at opposite sides of the center of the path of said tapes, tributary tapes delivering sheets from different parts of the machine to said main tapes in front of the stitching-machines, a gage alin-- ing the sheets thereat, intermittently-open ating sheet-propellers in front and rear of the stitching-machines and timed with the stitching-machines to arrest the movements of the sheet to stitch the latter at different points along the line of their travel as set forth.

8. In combination With the set of main tapes, two wire-stitching machines at opposite sides of the center of the path of said tapes and in a line at right angles to said path, feed-boards at different parts of the machine, folding-rollers receiving the sheet from one of said feed-boards, tapes delivering the folded sheet from said rollers to the main tapes in front of the stitching-machines, tapes conveying tributary sheets to the main tapes in front of the delivery of the folded sheet, gages arresting and alining the group of sheets preparatory to being stitched, intermittently-operating sheet-propellers in front and rear of the stitching-machines and timed to arrest the movement of the sheets to be repeatedly acted upon by the stitching-machines, a cutter severing the stitched sheets along the line central between the rows of stitchings, and two sets of folding-rollers receiving the severed sheets as set forth.

9. In combination with the main tapes, two Wire-stitching machines at opposite sides of the center of the path of said tapes, a main feed-board over one end of the machine, folding-rollers receiving the sheet from said feedboard, tapes conveying the folded sheet to the main tapes in front of the stitching-machines, atributary feed-board at the opposite end of the machine, a supplemental feedboard in front of said tributary feed-board, tape-carryin g rollers supported in an are over the latter feed-board and conveying the sheet from the supplemental feed-board to the delivery end of the tributary feed-board, tapes leading from the tributary table to the aforesaid main tapes and carrying jointly the sheets fed from the top feed-board at said end of the machine, gages alining said sheets on the main tapes in front of the delivery of thefolded sheet, gages arresting and alining all of said sheets in front of the stitching-machines, an intermittently-rotating roller carrying the group of sheets to the stitchingmachines to receive a plurality of stitches, a cutter severing the stitched sheets along a line central between the rows of stitches, an intermittently-rotating roller passing the stitched sheets to said cutter, and two sets of folding-rollers receiving the divided sheets as set forth.

10. A machine for folding, binding, and separating sheets containing duplicate signatures comprising a set of main paper-conveying tapes, two stitching or stapling 111achines disposed at opposite sides of the center of the lines of travel of said tapes, a plurality of tributary tapes carrying the duplicate sheets to said main tapes, a gage assembling and alining said sheets in transit to the stitching or stapling machines, mechanisms operating consecutively to arrest the assembled sheets and hold the same in position to receive the stitching or stapling at different points in the lengths of the sheets, a cutter separating the two stitched or stapled sheets central between the lines of stitching or stapling, and two sets of folding-rollers folding the separated sheets as set forth.v

11. A paper folding and stitching machine consisting of main conveying tapes, two stitching-machines at opposite sides of the center of the line of travel of said tapes and in line with each other and at right angles to the tapes, a feed-board for the reception of the duplex-signature sheets, rollers folding said sheet across its center, tapes conveying said folded sheet to the aforesaid main tapes, gages arresting said sheet at the rear of the stitching-machines, tributary feed-boards for the reception of the insert-sheet and the covering-sheet, tapes conveying the latter .two sheets to the aforesaid gages and assembling them with the folded main sheet, an intermittently rotary roller extending across the machine directly under the main tapes at the aforesaid gages, drop-rollers over the aforesaid roller, a coupling between the drop-rollers and gages to remove the latter from the path of the paper simultaneously with the dropping of the rollers, mechanism imparting rotary motion to the lower roller and timed to arrest the motion simultaneously with the descent of the drop-rollers and thereby clamp the assembled sheets between the rollers and subsequently rotate the rollers to advance the assembled sheets to a position to receive the first staples from the stitchingmachines and while in this position arrest the motion of the rollers to clamp and hold the sheets stationary in their assembled condition, and then again rotate said rollers to advance said sheets, a similar set of gages and rollers beyond the stitching-machines arresting and holding the aforesaid sheets While receiving the second staples and subsequently propel the stitched sheets, a cutter separating the stapled sheets on a line central between the stitching -machines, and folding-rollers receiving the separated sections of the stitched sheets as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name this 14th day of February, 1895.

TALBOT O. DEXTER. [L. s

WVitnesses:

V. E. MARSH, BENJAMIN RAPSON. 

